


Give Me All of You

by chocobox



Series: When the Stars Align [2]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, beware sugar-induced diabetic coma, fluffy sap, sap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-07
Updated: 2016-01-07
Packaged: 2018-05-12 10:09:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5662447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chocobox/pseuds/chocobox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A date, a stupid plan, and two teenaged boys who are ridiculously, hopelessly in love and don’t know what to do with each other. Or themselves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Give Me All of You

**Author's Note:**

> Because I firmly believe that characters getting together isn’t the end of the story. 
> 
> Title is from Untouched by the Veronicas (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykW4rtW2eu0). 
> 
> Thanks to all my friends who read this as I was writing and gave me feedback, corrected typos, brainstormed with me, and/or were otherwise awesome and supportive. I couldn’t do this without you.
> 
> * * *

Surrounded by the sound of shoes squeaking on the gym floor and dribbling basketballs, Kazunari bent over and rested his hands on his knees. He was drenched with sweat and breathing heavily. The sweat on his forehead dripped into his eyes; he brushed at it with his hands, but since they were just as wet, it didn’t do much good. Suddenly, a shadow loomed over him.

“You need to rest.”

Kazunari sighed. He straightened up, doing his best to arrange his face into a normal smile. “Shin-chan, you worry too much. I'm fine, I just needed to catch my breath.”

Midorima’s mouth was set in a hard line; he crossed his arms over his chest and didn't say anything else. Unfortunately, he was so focused on Kazunari that he didn't duck in time to miss the basketball aimed at his head. Kazunari winced in sympathy.

“Midorima!” yelled Miyaji from across the gym. “Stop being such a mother hen!”

This made Kazunari laugh, but he stopped short when Miyaji continued, “And Takao! Ten minutes on the bench!”

Seeing no use in arguing, Kazunari stalked over to the bench and plunked himself down on it. Recovering from being sick was the pits. He had expected to just wake up one morning and feel better again, but it hadn't been that way at all. It had been frustratingly slow and gradual, and he still didn't feel he was back to a hundred percent. Worst of all, pushing himself too hard only made things worse, and his overprotective boyfriend knew it. Midorima watched Kazunari so closely, he sometimes knew it was time for a break before Kazunari realized himself he was tired.

No, the real worst part was the feeling that he was holding Midorima back. They used to both stay at school practicing as late as they could, but now Kazunari was under orders not to stay past regular practice, and Midorima insisted on walking him home every day, rather than staying to practice on his own. Which was incredibly sweet, but Kazunari hated thinking he was keeping Midorima from his normal routine. None of them could afford to give up practice time this close to the Winter Cup.

Later, as the first-years started cleaning up after practice, Kazunari stopped Midorima on the way to the club room. “Shin-chan, why don’t you stay for a while and practice shooting?”

Midorima frowned. “You know you’re not allowed to stay after practice.”

“Right, I won’t practice or anything. I’ll just sit and watch.” Kazunari could tell Midorima was tempted, so he pushed on. “Just for a half-hour?” Midorima hesitated, but then nodded and turned on his heel to head back onto the court. Satisfied, Kazunari changed quickly and sat on the bench to watch. It wasn’t as good as practicing himself, but he really did love to watch Midorima shoot. His perfect form, the curve of his fingers, the arc of the ball...Kazunari never got tired of it, though he must have seen it thousands of times by now. It seemed impossible that he hadn’t always loved Midorima’s three-pointer. Or that he hadn’t always loved Midorima. It was easy to track the change from rival to teammate, and from teammate to friend, but when his feelings had moved beyond that, he wasn’t really sure. He only knew that it seemed like some kind of miracle that Midorima returned his feelings. He had considered himself lucky that Midorima seemed to think of him a friend; that they were now dating seemed too good to be true.

It was almost an hour before Midorima looked at the clock and stopped. Kazunari joined him on the court to help pick up the basketballs that were littered everywhere. He half-expected Midorima to stop him, but apparently he didn’t consider this too strenuous. Once the gym was cleaned up and Midorima had changed, they left. They were going to Midorima’s house, ostensibly to study, but knowing the rest of the family would be out, Kazunari definitely had some less wholesome activities in mind. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time “studying” had turned into a make-out session.

In the house, Midorima stopped in the kitchen to get drinks and snacks, while Kazunari headed up to Midorima’s bedroom. He pulled the collapsable table from its place against the wall and started setting it up. Even if he didn’t want to actually study, it didn’t hurt to keep up appearances.

While setting up the table, the corner of what looked like a book or magazine poking out from under Midorima’s bed caught his eye. Laughing to himself at the idea of finding Midorima’s porn stash, he slid what turned out to be a stack of magazines from under the bed. The one on top wasn’t porn, though, it was some feature about popular restaurants in Tokyo. Disappointed, he looked at the one under that, which was...top 20 best date spots? And under that was a hideous pink teen magazine, with cover articles like _How to Keep Your Boyfriend from Looking at Other Girls_. The magazines were all full of little sticky tabs marking pages.

Kazunari dropped the magazines and collapsed forward, resting his forehead on the bed. Every time he thought he couldn’t fall any harder for Midorima, he was proven wrong. The mental image of Midorima studiously paging through magazines and marking ideas for dates was too adorable to stand. But if Midorima wanted to go on a date, why hadn’t he asked? Was he waiting for a special occasion? Could he possibly think Kazunari would turn him down? Kazunari was used to Midorima oozing confidence and self-assuredness in everything he did; this new vulnerable, uncertain side he was showing left Kazunari at a loss. The incident of Midorima all but running out of the room because he was afraid Kazunari thought he was _boring_ was still fresh in his mind. Kazunari shook his head. He couldn’t think of anyone _less_ boring than Midorima Shintarou.

There was a creak on the stairs; Kazunari shoved the magazines back under the bed and tried to look casual about spreading his notebooks and papers on the table. Midorima came in the room with a tray of drinks and snacks, which he set on the table. He sat down across from Kazunari and began to spread out his own study materials. Kazunari watched this for about half a second before scooting around to sit next to Midorima. He had been planning on waiting longer to make his move, but all that had flown out the window when he found those magazines. Right now, he didn’t think he could stand being alone with Midorima for even a minute without kissing him.

“I thought you were here to study,” said Midorima, pushing up his glasses. The look on his face could only be described as disapproving, but Kazunari wasn’t so easily put off.

“Well…” said Kazunari, smiling suggestively. “We _could_ do that, or we could do something more fun now and study later.” For all his prim and proper attitude, Kazunari suspected that Midorima wanted this as much as he did. Sure enough, without any further convincing, Midorima leaned forward to kiss him.

Not that he had anything to compare it to (he had dated a girl in middle school once, but she had ended it before they had so much as held hands because “all you care about is basketball”), but Kazunari thought Midorima was a great kisser. If he was lacking in experience, he more than made up for it in enthusiasm, quickly learning the best ways to turn Kazunari into goo in his arms. Or maybe Kazunari was just easy to please; the tentative touch of a tongue on his lips and fingers exploring up his side was enough to drive him crazy.

Without realizing how it had happened, Kazunari found himself lying on the floor, clutching the back of Midorima’s jacket. Midorima had slid his hand up under Kazunari’s shirt, and his thumb was tracing circles to the right of Kazunari’s navel in way that made him gasp. Or maybe it was Midorima nibbling on Kazunari’s ear that was making him gasp. It was hard to tell, really, but either way it felt amazing.

In the distance a door slammed, and they both froze. “I’m home,” called a voice. They flew apart, scrambling to fix their clothes and sit at the table as if they’d been innocently studying this whole time.

A few minutes later the door opened, and Midorima’s mother poked her head in. Midorima didn’t look up from his notebook as he said, “Welcome home.”

Kazunari offered his most winning smile and said, “Please excuse my intrusion.”

“Oh, Takao-kun, how nice to see you. Thank you for always taking care of our Shintarou. Can I get you something to drink?”

“No thank you, ma’am,” answered Kazunari, politely. He tried to be on his best behavior around Midorima’s family; he guessed from Midorima’s stiff manners that they had a pretty strict sense of propriety. No doubt dating a boy would be at the top of their list of unsuitable activities for their son, but Kazunari tried his best not to think about that.

As soon as she left, shutting the door behind her, Kazunari let out a sigh of relief. He grinned at Midorima and said, “Man, too bad your mom came home early, I thought for sure I was going to get some today.”

“‘Get some’...what?”

Kazunari laughed. “You know, sex.” He watched Midorima’s sputter of indignation with amusement, hoping he would never get sick of Midorima’s reactions.

Midorima adjusted his glasses and said stiffly, “It would be improper for us to have sexual intercourse while underage.”

Kazunari laughed ( _sexual intercourse!_ ), and then stopped because he realized Midorima was, as always, serious. “Shin-chan, are you kidding? You want to wait until we’re both 18? That’s over a year away!”

“It would be improper to—”

“Shin-chan! I get a boner practically every time you _look_ at me. I’m going to explode if I have to wait a year to have sex!”

“Would you not talk like that while my mother is around?” hissed Midorima.

Kazunari waved his arm in dismissal. “Oh, I’m sure she went back downstairs. Can we talk about where you’re drawing the line here? Obviously kissing is okay, what about—”

The door opened again, and they both jumped. Midorima’s mother came in, and Kazunari, who was facing the door, sincerely hoped his face didn’t look as guilty as Midorima’s did.

From her polite smile, Kazunari guessed she hadn’t overheard their conversation. “I just bought this lovely _youkan_ while I was out shopping and thought you might like to try it,” she said, setting the plate down by their (still untouched) tray of tea and snacks.

“Thank you, it looks delicious,” said Kazunari.

She left again, and Kazunari breathed another sigh of relief. He felt like he’d lost a couple years of his life today. “Shin-chan,” he started, but Midorima glared at him.

“We are not continuing this discussion today.”

Kazunari couldn't see the sense in arguing with this, so he just sighed and bent over his homework.

* * *

On the way home, though, Kazunari couldn’t think about anything else. What could Midorima be thinking? Maybe it was a little too early in their relationship (they’d only been dating for a couple of weeks, after all), but surely waiting a _year_ was extreme by anyone’s standards? He couldn't believe the problem was that Midorima wasn’t interested, not with the way he kissed Kazunari. Was it really a matter of propriety for him? But why? Who would care if they had sex before they were 18? (Well, their parents, probably, but what they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.)

There was only one solution Kazunari could think of. It was time for Operation: Seduce Midorima Shintarou to commence.

* * *

The problem, of course, was that Kazunari was so inexperienced he had no idea how to go about doing this. He tried googling “how to seduce your boyfriend,” but most of the results he got were things like “how to dress sexy” or “natural aphrodisiac foods and how to cook them,” which didn’t really apply to Kazunari. He couldn’t cook to save his life, and he definitely wasn’t interested in wearing short skirts or lacy underwear or anything weird like that.

Well. Maybe as a last resort.

Maybe he needed to start someplace simple, like just trying to get Midorima alone. He thought of all those magazines under Midorima’s bed. Asking Midorima out on a date seemed as good a place to start as any. Besides, Kazunari _wanted_ to go out with Midorima, and do normal couple things. Especially right now, when he wanted to take his mind off of not being able to practice as much as he wanted to. If anything, he could use his enforced practice restrictions to his advantage. The team didn’t practice on Sundays, but he and Midorima used to meet and practice anyway. Now, while he wasn’t allowed extra practice time, was the perfect opportunity to go out on a date.

Kazunari planned to strike Friday at lunch. They were sitting on the roof as usual, but it was a cloudy day and the breeze was cool. Kazunari was just thinking that they might not have too much longer before they would need to start having lunch inside for the winter, when Midorima stood up.

“We should go inside.”

Kazunari looked at him for minute, confused, and then something clicked. “Shin-chan, I’m fine! I’m not even cold!”

“You also never think you’re tired,” said Midorima dryly.

Kazunari was about to protest further when he remembered he wanted Midorima in a good mood. “Okay, fine, let’s go inside,” he said, gathering up his things. They went in, and Midorima started down the stairs, but Kazunari grabbed his sleeve. “Let’s just sit here,” he said. The middle of a noisy classroom wasn’t exactly the ideal place to ask someone out on a date.

They sat down on the top step and continued their lunch in silence. Kazunari was surprised at how nervous he felt. It wasn’t like he expected Midorima to say no, especially not since he was doing all that date planning himself, but—

“Takao,” said Midorima.

“Hm?” answered Kazunari, distracted.

“Do you have any plans on Sunday?”

“Sunday? No.” _Oh, nice, that’s a good way to start, very casual. I’ll have to remember..._ Kazunari turned and stared at Midorima. “Shin-chan, are you asking me out on a date?”

Midorima didn’t look up, but his face was red. Kazunari grinned. He set down his curry bread and slid over on the step so their shoulders were touching. “Yes,” he said.

Midorima looked up, confused. “What?”

“Yes, I would _love_ to go on a date with you.”

Midorima looked down again, but Kazunari didn’t miss the small smile on his face. He leaned over and pressed his lips to Midorima’s cheek. Midorima looked up, shocked. “Not at _school_!” he said in a strangled voice.

Kazunari laughed and said, “Shin-chan, since you just asked me out, I think anyone who might be around would have already figured out that we’re dating.” The look of horror on Midorima’s face only made Kazunari laugh harder. He bumped his shoulder against Midorima's and said, “Relax, nobody’s around.”  Midorima did not look the slightest bit relaxed, so Kazunari changed the subject. “When should we meet?”

Midorima adjusted his glasses and said, “Ten o'clock, at the station.”

“Okay,” said Kazunari, grinning. This couldn't have worked out any better. He picked up his bread again and managed to finish it just as the warning bell for class rang.

* * *

That night, Kazunari sat on his bed, furtively searching the internet on his phone. Going on a date was all well and good, but how was he going to get Midorima into bed? He spent at least an hour looking up whether it was possible for somebody underage to get a room at a love hotel, or a regular hotel, and how, before snapping his phone shut and tossing it aside in frustration. None of that mattered as long as Midorima wanted to wait to have sex; he certainly would see through any attempts to get him into a hotel room. (Kazunari entertained a brief fantasy of getting caught in the rain and being “forced” to get a hotel room to dry off, but the uncooperative weather report called for nothing but sunny skies on Sunday.) Maybe this had been a stupid plan. Going out on a date didn't help at all with OSMS (he probably needed a better name for that). He really was going to have to go back to the drawing board on his plan.

But in the meantime, he was going to enjoy the hell out of their date.

* * *

As promised, Sunday dawned sunny and bright. It was a few minutes before ten when Kazunari got to the station, but as he approached, he could see Midorima already waiting. Kazunari felt a little flutter in his stomach; he was so used to seeing Midorima in his school uniform or basketball gear, seeing him dressed in casual clothes was an unexpected turn-on. He was wearing slacks and a sweater with a blazer over it, and maybe it wasn’t the most fashion-forward outfit, but he looked good. _Really_ good. Kazunari hadn't put a lot of thought into his own outfit for the day, but he suddenly regretted his jeans and sneakers. What if Midorima was planning on going to a fancy restaurant or something? It seemed like something he might do. Pushing aside this worry, Kazunari smiled and said, “Hi, Shin-chan! I hope you didn't wait long.”

“I only just arrived,” said Midorima.

Kazunari laughed at their cliche exchange, and they headed into the station. “Where are we going?” he asked, as they passed through the ticket gate.

“Ikebukuro.”

_Ikebukuro?_ Kazunari tried to think why they might be going there. “To Sunshine City? Are we going shopping?”

“The aquarium,” clarified Midorima. Kazunari guessed that made sense; aquariums were popular date spots. He had no idea why this particular aquarium, but maybe it had been featured in one of those magazines.

The train they boarded was fairly crowded; passengers shuffled toward the middle of the car as new people boarded and they both managed to find handholds. Midorima, of course, was the tallest on the car. Kazunari gave him a sidelong glance. Tallest _and_ best looking. He was used to going places with Midorima, but it had been a while since they’d ridden a train together, and somehow it made Kazunari notice how much Midorima stood out in a crowd. Maybe it was his imagination, but there were two girls sitting nearby who seemed to be whispering and looking this way. _He’s mine, he’s mine, he’s mine_ , thought Kazunari gleefully.

“What’s so amusing?” asked Midorima.

Kazunari hadn’t even realized he was laughing. He smiled and said, “Nothing. Just...looking forward to today.” Midorima looked away. Exasperated? Embarrassed? Kazunari couldn't tell.

The train pulled up to the next station, and a new hoard of passengers crowded on. Kazunari was forced to press closer to Midorima, and their free hands brushed. Would anyone even notice if they held hands? Kazunari didn’t care who saw them or what they thought, but he knew Midorima did care, very much. Kazunari’s fingers twitched, as if they might grab Midorima’s hand of their own volition, and he stuffed his hand in the pocket of his jeans to avoid temptation. He found himself suddenly resenting all the other passengers on the train. He imagined an empty car, with the two of them sitting snug in one of the corner seats, holding hands. How perfect would that be?

“You're quiet today,” said Midorima.

“Shin-chan, are you implying I'm usually loud?”

“Yes.”

Kazunari laughed. “Shin-chan, you're the best.” The thirteen million residents of Tokyo weren't going anywhere anytime soon, so he might as well enjoy the day, even if there wasn’t likely to be much hand-holding.

Soon enough, the train arrived at Ikebukuro, and from there it was a fairly short walk to Sunshine City. Kazunari had never been to this aquarium before, so when they went in, he was surprised to see that most of the people in the lobby seemed to be families, not couples. Was this not a popular date spot?

At the ticket counter, Midorima bought both of their tickets, leaving Kazunari feeling slightly awkward. How did this work? Should he pay for a meal later? Or let Midorima pay for the whole date, and Kazunari would pay for the next date? (There _would_ be a next date, he told himself firmly.) But then Kazunari was distracted by one of the posters on the wall. “Look, Shin-chan, they have anteaters,” he said, pointing.

Midorima frowned. “At the aquarium? Why?”

“Who cares? Aren't they cute?”

“If you say so,” said Midorima doubtfully.

“Shin-chan, don't you like _any_ animals?”

Midorima considered this seriously, then said, “I understand beavers are very industrious.”

Kazunari laughed. “Okay, let's go find the hardest-working fish in the aquarium. And then see the anteaters.”

Midorima’s face was skeptical, but he didn’t argue with this plan. Kazunari led the way, pamphlet in hand. Progress was slow, because Kazunari insisted on reading all of the informational signs. When he didn’t find any suitably hard-working fish, he would search the tank for the one with the grumpiest face, and then point it out to Midorima (“that one looks like you, Shin-chan!”).

Amazingly, Midorima didn’t complain about this for an entire hour, but finally he said in an exasperated voice, “Are you tired of this game yet?”

“Shin-chan, I’m doing this for you!” insisted Kazunari. It was obvious from his face that Midorima didn’t buy this for a second. Before he could argue, though, Kazunari said, “Wait, Shin-chan, look at this. ‘Bluestreak cleaner wrasse: similar to an aesthetician who scrubs the dead skin cells off a client’s feet, the cleaner wrasse offers a similar scrub-down to its fellow aquatic creatures. These tiny fish average only 5 to 7 centimeters in length, but they spend all day, every day working to rid other reef fish of unwanted parasites and dead scales.’”

Midorima leaned closer to look at the sign as if he didn’t believe this, and then looked up at the tank. “Where are they?”

“It’s that little blue one, right?” said Kazunari, pointing.

There were several of the tiny fish in the tank; Midorima watched them intently for a few minutes, and then said, “They aren’t doing anything. Just swimming around.” His voice had a distinctly disappointed tone.

Kazunari stifled a laugh and said, “Maybe the fish in this tank aren’t dirty. I bet the cleaner fish are bored.”

“Or just lazy,” sniffed Midorima.

“You’re a harsh critic, Shin-chan,” said Kazunari, laughing. “Come on, let’s go see the anteaters, then.”

Midorima pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, apparently to check the time. “Why don’t we go eat lunch first?”

It was a little after noon and Kazunari wasn’t particularly hungry, but he said, “Okay, that sounds good.” On the way to the cafe, they passed through a tunnel with a water tank on both sides, connected by curved glass overhead, designed to make people feel like they were underwater. Kazunari had seen a picture of it in the pamphlet; it was neat to see the fish swimming all around and overhead, but in person the tunnel was surprisingly small. Midorima actually had to duck to go through, making Kazunari laugh. As they came out the other side, Kazunari said, “Shin-chan, what made you choose this aquarium?” As far as he could tell, Sunshine Aquarium was small, cramped, and crowded with families. Nothing about it said “date spot” that he could see.

Midorima gave him a funny look. “I thought you wanted to come here.”

“Me? What made you think that?”

“You sent me that text. About the fish in Sunshine Aquarium.”

Kazunari blinked in surprise, and tried to think back to a text like that. Then he remembered: when he was stuck home sick and really bored, he’d stumbled on a website with the market value of all the fish in Sunshine Aquarium, and he must have sent it to Midorima. But—

“You remembered that?” He had probably sent Midorima a hundred texts that day.

Midorima adjusted his glasses and said, “Of course. I remember all the texts you send me.”

Kazunari stared at Midorima. There was a sudden ache in his chest, and he had the feeling he might cry. He stopped walking and covered his eyes with his hand. This was too much. How on earth was he supposed to deal with his boyfriend being so _perfect_ all the time?

Midorima must have also stopped; Kazunari heard his voice saying, “Takao?” uncertainly. Kazunari looked up; seeing the confusion (and concern?) on Midorima’s face, he did his best to smile. “Did you not want to come here?” asked Midorima.

This was so far from the point Kazunari laughed. “No, this is great. I’m having a really good time. I just...kinda wish we could be alone right now. Shin-chan…” Kazunari trailed off. Midorima probably wouldn’t appreciate a declaration of love in the middle of a crowded aquarium. In fact, they were already attracting attention, stopped as they were in the middle of the hallway. “Never mind. I’ll tell you later. But the aquarium is great. Thanks for bringing me here, Shin-chan. Let’s go have lunch, okay?”

Midorima still looked slightly puzzled, but he nodded and they started walking again. It wasn’t far to the cafe, and they stopped outside to look at the food displayed. Kazunari laughed when he saw it: most of the food was shaped to look like the different animals in the aquarium, clearly aimed at making all the visiting kids happy. Midorima eyed the selection uncertainly. “We could go out to a restaurant in the mall,” he said.

“Don’t be silly! Where’s your sense of adventure, Shin-chan?” Kazunari pulled open the cafe doors and marched up to the counter without hesitation. “Two orders of otter curry rice, please,” he said to the clerk.

Midorima was right behind him. “That’s not what I was going to order,” he said, sounding annoyed.

Kazunari ignored this. “And two melon soda floats.” He pulled out his wallet (waving off Midorima when he offered money) and paid for lunch. “Shin-chan, why don't you go find a table while I wait for the food?” Midorima nodded and walked off, winding around tables and chairs to find an empty spot. Kazunari watched, wondering how long it was going to take to get used to Midorima _caring_ about him like this. It was almost a relief to hear annoyance in his voice. _This how it is now_ , he reminded himself. _We’re dating. This is normal._

“Order number 72,” said one of the attendants, and Kazunari picked up the tray. He took a deep breath and headed over to the table where Midorima was sitting. “Look, Shin-chan,” he said brightly, setting down the tray. “Aren't the otters cute?”

Midorima frowned at the dish in front of him, which had a slightly lopsided rice-otter. “What do otters have to do with curry?” he asked.

“It's just cute, Shin-chan. Don't think about it so much.”

Midorima picked up his spoon and stabbed his otter in the face, scooping out a spoonful of curry and rice. “I wanted the spaghetti,” he said, sulkily.

Kazunari paused in taking a bite. “Pasta isn't your lucky item today, is it?” He’d forgotten to check Oha-Asa this morning. He'd assumed today's item was something small, since Midorima wasn't carrying anything obvious.

“No, it's a handkerchief,” answered Midorima.

“Well, that's fine, then,” said Kazunari, taking his bite and chewing. “Isn't having the same thing more like a couple?”

“We’re supposed to get different things and taste each other’s.”

“...Oh.” Kazunari didn’t know what to say, having expected Midorima to scoff at his question. He took another bite, chewing slowly to give himself time to think. When he’d finally swallowed, he said, “We can do that at dinner then, right?”

“I suppose,” replied Midorima. He didn’t sound excited about the prospect. Was it required at every meal? Was lunch more important than dinner? Kazunari decided to just change the subject.

He spread the pamphlet out between them and said, “Is there anywhere you want to go after lunch, Shin-chan? After we see the anteaters, I mean. Maybe we should go see the sea lion show?”

“Is there anything else _you_ want to see?” asked Midorima.

Kazunari didn't particularly care about anything in the aquarium so much as seeing it together with Midorima, but somehow he felt strange about saying so when he knew it wouldn't just be taken as a joke. Instead, he smiled and said, “Everything.”

Midorima didn't smile, exactly, but his face relaxed a little. “Let's do that,” he said.  

* * *

They went to see the anteaters first thing after lunch. The anteaters were in a large plexiglass enclosure, half of which was land, the other half a big water tank with fish and shorebirds. “They must like water,” said Midorima in surprise.

“I guess so,” said Kazunari. “Makes sense, at an aquarium.” There were lots of people watching the anteaters and Kazunari wished he could get closer. The anteaters were even cuter in person than he’d imagined from the poster. He grinned, watching one trot around the enclosure with unknown purpose. He watched for a long time, shuffling closer as families in front left, until finally he was right in front of the enclosure. He had to stop himself from pressing up against the glass like a little kid. They were so darned cute, he could have watched all day, but finally he said, “Are you bored yet, Shin-chan?”

“I wasn’t sure you remembered I was here,” replied Midorima. “You like them that much?”

“Just look at their serious little faces. I think they’re my new favorite animal.”

Midorima clearly did not see the appeal, but said, “We can stay as long as you like.”

“No, let’s move on,” he said, reluctantly turning away from the anteaters. “Is it too late for the sea lion show?”

As it turned out, Kazunari barely paid any attention to the sea lions. They sat in the very back row of the amphitheater (because of Midorima’s height) and Kazunari couldn’t stop thinking about whether anybody would notice if they held hands. He had finally decided nobody would see and was going to go for it when the show ended, which he only noticed because Midorima stood up.

“It’s over already?” he said stupidly.

Midorima looked at him, confused. “Do you want to stay and watch the next show?”

That would _really_ not help. Kazunari stood up, saying, “No, let’s go.”

They took their time in the rest of the aquarium, but it wasn’t very big, so it wasn’t long before they’d seen everything. As they walked through the lobby on their way out, Midorima stopped him. “Wait here,” he said, and went into the gift shop, leaving a confused Kazunari behind. Was Midorima getting a souvenir for someone? It was only a few minutes before Midorima came back out, carrying a plastic bag, which he promptly handed to Kazunari.

“For me?” he said, blinking in surprise. He opened the bag and pulled out—a plush anteater. “Shin-chan!” This was worse than the texts. It was so... _thoughtful_. He bit his lip and stared at the little plush face, then finally looked up at Midorima. “Thank you,” he said. “It’s perfect.” Midorima was giving him that uncertain look again, so Kazunari grinned and said, “I’ll name him...Shinjirou.”

“ _What?_ ”

Kazunari turned the stuffed animal around so Midorima could see its face. “You don’t see the resemblance, Shin-chan?”

Midorima made a grab for the anteater, but Kazunari hugged it protectively. “Hey! What are you doing?”

“I’m taking it back to the store.”

“No way! He’s mine, and I am _definitely_ not giving him back.”

Midorima sighed. “I suppose you think it has a grumpy face, too,” he said.

“You’ve got it all wrong, Shin-chan,” said Kazunari, earnestly. “I was just joking about the fish. But anteaters are serious, and determined, and totally adorable. Just like _someone_ I know.”

Midorima stared. “You...you think I’m…‘adorable’?” he said, in disbelief.

_Perfect_. Fight fire with fire. “Yes,” he said, emphatically. “Adorable, and good looking, and passionate, and lo—” Midorima’s hand covered his mouth, muffling anything else he wanted to say.

“Not here,” said Midorima quietly. He was bright red.

Kazunari nodded, and when Midorima took his hand away, said, “I will tell you _all_ about it later.”

* * *

It was still a little early for dinner when they left the aquarium, so they decided to walk around the mall after all. There were more couples out here, and groups of teenage girls, flocking in and out of the jewelry and accessory shops. Kazunari had put Shinjirou back in his plastic bag, which he swung at his side as he walked. He felt strangely triumphant, as if he’d unlocked the secret to dating Midorima. Two could play at this “thoughtful and caring” game.

To kill time, they went into a little coffee shop and ordered drinks. The shop was fairly empty, so they took a table right by the window where they could see people in the mall walking by. Families, groups of friends...couples holding hands. Kazunari eyed one couple as they passed, and then looked at Midorima. “Shin-chan,” he said.

“What?”

“How do you feel about...holding hands in public?”

Midorima, who had just taken a sip of his tea, sputtered and coughed. Finally, he managed to choke out, “ _Here_?”

“No! Well…” Frankly, he wanted to touch Midorima every chance he could get, but he didn’t want to push too fast, either. “No, not here, necessarily. Maybe...at night, walking down a deserted street, or in the back of a movie theater…” he trailed off.

“So, in public, but when no one else can see,” clarified Midorima.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Midorima glanced at him and then looked away. “But _you_ would, even here?”

Kazunari hesitated. “Maybe,” he said. “But it’s okay if we don’t. I just want to know when it _would_ be okay.”

There was a long pause, and Kazunari regretted bringing it up. But then Midorima, still not looking at him, said, “If no one could see...I would like that.”

“Shin-chan…” Kazunari’s voice was thick with emotion; he swallowed and tried again. “Shin-chan, have I told you lately how much I love you?”

Midorima’s head snapped back to look at Kazunari; his face was a comical mix of horror and embarrassment. “Absolutely _do not_ tell me any such thing,” he hissed. “Not in public!”

“But Shin-chan…” Kazunari pushed imaginary glasses up on his nose and pitched his voice lower. “I have romantic feelings for you, na no da yo.”

Midorima sighed and put his hand to his forehead. “Are you ever going to tire of that?”

“Never,” promised Kazunari.

* * *

Kazunari was half-expecting the restaurant where they were going for dinner to be some kind of four-star, gourmet, black-tie affair, but it turned out to be a little hole-in-the-wall Italian place. It was cosy-looking, the kind of place that would appeal equally to families, couples, and businessmen, so two teenaged boys might not stand out too much. (Except, of course, that Midorima stood out wherever he went.)

Naturally, Midorima had made a reservation, so they didn’t have to wait even though the restaurant was quite full. As they sat down, Kazunari said, “Are you _sure_ pasta isn’t your lucky item today?”

“Of course I’m sure,” said Midorima, avoiding Kazunari’s eyes.

Kazunari watched him through narrowed eyes, then pulled out his phone. Midorima saw this and became very interested in his menu. But when Kazunari checked Oha-Asa’s horoscope for today, he saw the lucky item for Cancer (in third place) was indeed a handkerchief. Confused, Kazunari looked up at Midorima, who was still suspiciously engrossed in his menu. What was he so embarrassed about? Then Kazunari looked again, scrolling through the whole list, and saw _9\. Scorpio - Italian cuisine_. He closed his phone and put it back in his pocket. _I am dating the most adorable man on the planet_ , he told himself. Aloud, he said, “What looks good, Shin-chan?”

Visibly relieved at this change of subject, Midorima said, “The spaghetti with seafood cream sauce is supposed to be excellent.”

“Is that what you’re getting?” asked Kazunari, as he opened his own menu.

“Yes, I think so.”

Kazunari scanned the menu quickly and closed it again. He was too happy to care what he ate. He rested his chin on his hand, watching Midorima, who seemed to be reading the detailed description of every item the restaurant had to offer. Eventually, he closed his menu and looked up, seeing Kazunari looking at him. “What?”

“Thank you.”

Midorima’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. “For what?”

_For asking me out. For making today perfect. For being you._ Before Kazunari could figure out how to answer, a waitress came up to the table and took their order. By the time she left, the moment had passed, and Kazunari instead turned the subject to something easy: basketball.

Partway through dinner, there was a lull in the conversation. Kazunari twirled a little bit of pasta around his fork and held it out to Midorima. “Shin-chan, say ‘ahhh,’” he said, as enticingly as he could.

Midorima recoiled as if there might be poison in the meat sauce. “What are you doing?” he demanded, pushing Kazunari’s hand away.

“You’re the one who wanted to trade food!”

“Not like _that_!”

Kazunari set his fork down and tilted his head in confusion. “But I thought you wanted to do it to be like a couple. Isn’t this the most couple-like way to do it?”

There was a dawning horror in Midorima’s eyes. He opened his mouth and closed it again, as if he couldn’t find a way to argue with this. “But…” he said, hopelessly.

Shoulders shaking in silent laughter, Kazunari pushed his dish forward. “Here, taste it,” he said.

Midorima looked between Kazunari and the plate of pasta, as if he couldn’t decide the right thing to do. Finally, he picked up his own fork and took a bite. “It’s very good,” he said stiffly.

Kazunari waited a minute, but Midorima remained silent, looking uncomfortable. “Shin-chan, aren’t you going to offer me a taste of yours?” Midorima hesitated, and for a second Kazunari wondered if he might actually do the “say ahh” thing, but then he silently pushed his plate forward. Kazunari grinned and helped himself to a giant bite. “Oh, you were right, Shin-chan, this is amazing. I should have ordered it.”

Midorima paused in pulling his plate back and looked uncertainly between his pasta and Kazunari again. “Do you...want to trade?” he asked.

Kazunari smiled and said, “Nah. I’ll order it next time we come. You will bring me here again, right, Shin-chan?”

Midorima adjusted his glasses and said, “If you insist.”

“Definitely,” said Kazunari, smiling even more.

* * *

They were quiet walking home from the train station. The day had been better than Kazunari could have possibly imagined, and he was sorry to see it end. He knew they would see each other tomorrow morning, but even one night apart seemed impossibly long.

Midorima’s hand brushed against his. Kazunari glanced over, but Midorima was looking away. He suddenly remembered: _at night, walking down a deserted street._ His heart fluttered nervously. _This is stupid_ , he told himself, and took Midorima’s hand. He was on Midorima’s right side, so this hand wasn’t taped; his skin was cool, fingers rough with calluses. Kazunari smiled and looked up at the moon overhead. _Now_ today was perfect. “Shin-chan,” he said.

There was a long pause, then: “What?”

“Would now be a good time to tell you how much I love you?”

“No!”

Kazunari laughed and gently squeezed Midorima’s hand. “Let’s see, where was I? Adorable, good-looking, passionate, lovable, dedicated—” There was a sudden jerk on his hand as Midorima stopped walking and pulled Kazunari towards him, and Kazunari found himself being kissed. Oh, he was wrong before. The day could not possibly get any more perfect now. He pulled away and laughed breathlessly. “Was that your way of saying ‘I love you too,’ or just to shut me up?” he asked.

“Both,” said Midorima, and kissed him again. Kazunari thought his heart might burst; he reached up to put his arms around Midorima’s neck and tried to convey some of his feelings through his lips or hands or anywhere they were touching. He had always thought he was good at communication, but suddenly words seemed stupid and inadequate, and couldn’t possibly make Midorima understand how amazing and perfect he was.

They were both breathless when they broke apart again. “I don’t want to go home,” said Kazunari. “I never want today to end.”

Midorima didn’t respond, but briefly pressed his lips against Kazunari’s again. They stayed like that for a minute, just holding each other, and then Midorima took Kazunari’s hand in his, and gave it a gentle tug. Kazunari reluctantly started walking again. “If we stay up too late tonight,” said Midorima, “We’ll both regret it at practice tomorrow morning.”

“I couldn’t possibly regret anything about today,” said Kazunari.

All too soon, they were on Kazunari’s street. Midorima stopped him just before his house, and leaned down to kiss him again. It was soft and gentle; none of the passion and fire from a few moments before. “Good night,” said Midorima quietly. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Good night,” said Kazunari. He stretched up to kiss Midorima once more, then slipped in the gate to his house. He paused at the door, but thought he might not go in at all if he looked back and saw Midorima still standing outside the gate, so he just went inside, leaning back against the door as he closed it. He stayed there for a minute, then straightened up and yelled, “I’m home!” The answering calls from his family came from the living room, where they were all probably watching TV. After kicking off his shoes, he went upstairs to his bedroom, closed the door, and flopped down onto his bed. He pulled out his phone, typed _I miss you already_ and then hastily deleted it. It took several tries before he’d written something he felt he could actually send.

 

> to: jinji_mania@docomo.ne.jp  
>  from: hawkeye10@softbank.ne.jp  
>  subject: Good night~
> 
> I had a great time today! (⋆ૢʾ ˙̫̮ ʿ⋆ૢ)  
>  I can’t wait until our next date.  
>  Sweet dreams, Shin-chan! （*＾3＾）/～♡

  
Midorima rarely replied to his texts, so he wasn’t expecting a response, but to his surprise he heard a text alert a few minutes later.

  

> to: hawkeye10@softbank.ne.jp  
>  from: jinji_mania@docomo.ne.jp  
>  subject: Re: Good night~
> 
> I also enjoyed myself today. Sleep well tonight.

 

Kazunari stared at the screen for a long time. Then he sat up, fished Shinjirou out of his plastic bag, and settled back down on the bed with the plush anteater in his arms. Maybe he would sleep well eventually, but right now, he wasn’t ready for the day to be over yet.

* * *

Kazunari spent the next few days in a fog of happiness. He had been thrilled when they had started dating, true, but maybe a part of him had thought it wouldn’t last, or that Midorima might just be confused about his feelings. But now he could tell that Midorima really cared about him, and was obviously doing his best to make the relationship work. This wasn’t just some passing phase; it felt real, solid. Something Kazunari would fight to keep.

Besides the euphoria over his love life, Kazunari was also thrilled on Monday when Coach Nakatani suggested he work on increasing his stamina by practicing longer hours again. At first Midorima didn’t seem pleased with this idea, but when they actually got into their evening practice, they both lost track of time so completely a teacher had to kick them out of the gym because the school was closing for the night. Once he saw that Kazunari was fine after this practice, Midorima didn’t protest further. And if Kazunari used the late evening practices as an opportunity to sneak in a kiss or two in the deserted club room, well, who could blame him? His boyfriend was like some kind of walking sex god and Kazunari was using all of his willpower to keep his hands off of him while they were in public.

Kazunari had wanted to go back to biking to school with his return to his regular practice schedule, but Midorima asked him to wait another week or two, when hopefully he would have built up more stamina from the longer practices. Kazunari found he didn’t really mind; after all, walking home with Midorima after evening practice gave them another chance to hold hands every day.

Thursday morning, Kazunari was eating breakfast and daydreaming about possible places to go on a second date when his mother interrupted his thoughts. “Kazunari, do you have any plans this weekend?”

He swallowed his mouthful of toast and said, “Just basketball practice.” And hopefully another awesome date.

She looked concerned. “Oh, dear, maybe you could miss just this once…?”

“What? Why?”

“I suppose you don’t remember that your cousin Haruka’s wedding is this weekend. The wedding is on Sunday, but it’s in Osaka, so we were planning to go on Saturday and stay the night.”

Not only did Kazunari not remember this wedding, he barely remembered who “cousin Haruka” was. “Mom! I can’t skip practice now! The Winter Cup prelims are just around the corner, and I lost so much time from being sick!”

“But I just don’t know about leaving you home on your own…” she said uncertainly.

“I’ll be fine, Mom! It’s just for one night.” He rolled his eyes. What did she think would happen in one night? And suddenly it occurred to him—what _could_ happen in one night. Like possibly his plan to seduce Midorima actually succeeding. In the blissful haze left behind by their date, Kazunari had completely forgotten about his plan, but he certainly wasn't going to ignore a chance like this falling in his lap.

“I’ll have to talk to your father about it,” she said.

Kazunari took another bite of toast and chewed slowly, thinking. Trying his best to sound casual, he said, “If you’re worried about leaving me alone, I could ask Midorima to come over.”

She brightened immediately. “Oh! That would be lovely. Such a reliable boy. I’d feel much better if he was here with you.” He refrained from pointing out that Midorima was just as hopeless with cooking and housework as Kazunari was. What did she think Midorima would do? Protect the house from a burglar? But the matter seemed to be settled. “I’ll still have to talk to your father, but if Midorima-kun comes over, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“Great!” he said. “I’ll do that.” Of course, actually inviting Midorima was another matter entirely. He was sure to be suspicious if he knew the situation, so Kazunari resolved to do it casually, after practice on Saturday.

The rest of the week was a blur of school, basketball practice, and Midorima being wonderful. He had apparently decided (maybe one of his magazines told him) that a good boyfriend responds to text messages, but the finer points of the writing of said messages seemed to escape him. His texts were short and overly polite, and never failed to make Kazunari grin. Kazunari would text something like _Will you walk me home from school today?_ and instead of pointing out that they walked home from school together every day, Midorima would respond _If you wish._ Emoticons seemed to leave him completely confused, and sometimes he would show his phone screen to Kazunari, demanding to know the meaning before he would reply. This meant Kazunari spent a lot of time late at night, searching for the perfect emoticons to send to Midorima.

By the time Saturday rolled around, though, Kazunari felt like one big bundle of nerves. He wasn’t sure if he was more nervous about his plan succeeding or failing. He thought he managed to hold himself together during practice, but when they were done, Miyaji pulled him aside to ask if he was okay (while Midorima glowered in the corner). After assuring Miyaji that he was fine, he hurried to change his clothes and meet Midorima outside the gym.

Ignoring the scowl on Midorima’s face, Kazunari said brightly, “Shin-chan, do you want to come over to my house to study?”

Midorima paid no attention to this. “Are you unwell again?”

“What? No, I’m fine!”

“Your performance today—”

“I’m not a genius, Shin-chan. Maybe I’m just having an off day.”

Midorima studied his face intently for a minute, until Kazunari felt strangely guilty. Finally, he said, “If you say so.”

“So, do you want to come to my place, then?”

“To study,” said Midorima.

“Right, to study.”

For a minute, Kazunari was sure Midorima was going to refuse, but then he said, “Fine. Let’s go.” Kazunari breathed a sigh of relief, and they headed off. He spent the entire walk home chatting (or maybe more like babbling), but later couldn’t remember a single thing he had talked about.

When they finally got there, Kazunari called, “I’m home!” as they went in the door.

“Please excuse my intrusion,” said Midorima. There was, of course, no response to either of them, and no one came to greet them. Midorima looked at Kazunari and said, “Has your family gone out?”

“Yeah,” said Kazunari, as casually as he could. “They went to a wedding or something.”

“Or something,” said Midorima, dryly.

“Do you want anything to drink?”

“No, I’m fine.” He bent to carefully line his shoes up in the entryway and then headed up the stairs. Kazunari followed nervously. He couldn’t tell at all what Midorima was thinking. They sat on the floor in Kazunari’s room, but Midorima made no move to get his homework out of his school bag. There was an uncomfortable silence, and then finally Midorima said, “Why didn’t you tell me your family would be gone when you invited me?”

“I...thought you might not come over if you knew.” His plan seemed stupid now. Had he thought Midorima wouldn’t notice his family wasn’t home?

“You thought I wouldn’t want to be alone with you?”

Kazunari fiddled with a button on his jacket. “Well...you said you wanted to wait to have sex…”

Midorima sighed. “I see.”

“But…” Kazunari hesitated, and then the words came tumbling out. “But Shin-chan, I don’t want to wait! I love you so much I’m going crazy! I know we haven’t been going out that long, but I had a crush on you _forever_ , and everything you do to show you care makes me so happy, and I don’t think you know this but you’re freaking _gorgeous_ , and all I can think about is how to get you alone so I can kiss you and touch you and—”

Kazunari found himself being kissed again. Maybe his stupid plan had worked, after all. He kissed back with enthusiasm, hands sliding up Midorima’s chest to find the button on his jacket collar. But before he could work on unhooking it, Midorima pulled back and said, “You're the one driving _me_ crazy.”

Kazunari laughed and said, “You found a very effective way to shut me up.”

He reached up to kiss Midorima again, but fingers covered his lips. “Wait.”

“Shin-chaaan…” He was whining but he didn't care. Were they really back to square one on this? “This isn't _really_ about us being underage, is it?”

Midorima sighed and looked away. “No, I suppose it isn’t.” He adjusted his glasses and looked back at Kazunari, meeting his eyes. “But I don’t want to rush, and that’s the truth. I want to do everything the right way.”

“And ‘the right way’ is waiting...for how long?”

“I don’t know,” admitted Midorima. “But right now is too soon.”

“Shin-chan...what do you think will happen if you do the ‘wrong’ thing?” Midorima looked away again, and the silence that followed was unbearable. Finally Kazunari touched Midorima’s arm and said, “I don’t know what you’re worried about, but it shouldn’t be losing me. That won’t happen.”

Midorima looked at him then, face bleak. “But what if it does?”

Kazunari’s chest tightened, and he felt overwhelmed with the desire to protect Midorima, keep him safe and perfect and never let anyone or anything hurt him. He wrapped his arms around Midorima and squeezed tight. “It can’t,” he said fiercely. “I won’t let it.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” protested Midorima.

“Shin-chan, will you just shut up and kiss me?” For once, Midorima did as he was told without protest. But then, Kazunari wasn’t sure if it was better or worse than not kissing, when he wanted so much more.

Maybe Midorima could tell this, or maybe he wanted more, too, because he pulled back and said, “We could compromise.”

Kazunari raised his eyebrows. “Shin-chan, are you really offering to _compromise_?” he asked incredulously.

Midorima scowled. “I’m only human, you know.”

“Oh my god.” Kazunari pulled out his phone and pretended to start texting. “I have to _tell_ someone about this. Midorima Shintarou is a human who’s willing to compromise.”

“Do you want to hear this, or not?”

Kazunari put his phone away and folded his hands in his lap, the picture of innocence. “I’m all ears.”

Midorima cleared his throat and pushed his glasses up on his nose. “There’s a wide range of activities between kissing and anal penetration.”

Kazunari managed to turn his laugh into a cough. He _really_ didn’t want to screw this up. “And you’re suggesting we try some of these…‘activities’?”

“Yes.”

The look Midorima gave him sent a shiver down his spine. Kazunari swallowed. Maybe today wasn’t going like he’d planned, but this was definitely promising. “Okay,” he managed to say. The intensity in Midorima’s eyes was making it difficult to think, or breathe. Kazunari had seen this kind of focus in Midorima before, when he was playing basketball. But finding it directed at himself was another matter entirely. “Shin-chan…” he said, uncertainly. And then Midorima cupped Kazunari’s cheek in his hand and kissed him so tenderly he felt like his heart might shatter into a million pieces. Maybe Midorima wasn’t good with words, but right then, it didn’t matter. Kazunari was positive that no words could make him feel as loved as he did in this moment.

They moved to sit on the bed; Kazunari finally got to undo the buttons of Midorima’s jacket, and then his shirt, too. He ran his fingers down the smooth skin, feeling the hard muscle underneath, enjoying the places that twitched under his fingers or made Midorima’s breath hitch. Kazunari paused just long enough to shrug out of his own jacket and shirt, and Midorima pushed him down onto the bed and kissed him again. He felt the fingers of Midorima’s taped left hand trail along his side and gasped. “Shin-chan…” it sounded like a moan; he tried again. “Shin-chan, would you...untape your fingers?”

Midorima glanced at his hand uncertainly. “Does it bother you?”

“It’s not that…” He wasn’t sure he could explain without sounding weird. “I want to feel your fingers, not the tape. It’s like you’re not undressed all the way.”

Midorima hesitated, but sat up and started unwinding the tape from his fingers. Kazunari propped himself up on his elbows to watch. It didn’t seem like it should be sexy, but it was. Could fingers be a turn-on? Did he have a hand fetish? When the last bit of taping had fallen away, Kazunari sat up and took Midorima’s left hand in his own, pressing a kiss to each finger. “What are you doing?” asked Midorima, his voice slightly choked.

“I have to promise to take good care of these fingers,” said Kazunari seriously.

Midorima pushed him back down on the bed and kissed him soundly. His fingers wandered all over Kazunari’s skin and it felt amazing, like being lit on fire in each place he touched. Kazunari’s pants were already uncomfortably tight, so when Midorima’s hand finally reached his waistband, he let out a sound that was definitely a moan. He really hoped whatever “activities” Midorima had in mind for them tonight involved neither of them wearing pants.

As if he had read Kazunari’s mind, Midorima started unfastening Kazunari’s pants. Midorima tugged on the waistband, and Kazunari wriggled awkwardly, until Midorima had pulled the pants free, and then did the same with his boxers. Kazunari felt slightly exposed, but the accompanying mixture of excitement and nervousness wasn’t unpleasant.

But when Midorima reached for him, Kazunari grabbed his hand. “What about you?”

Midorima looked uncomfortable. “I don’t...I can wait…”

“Shin-chan! This is _not_ a one-way street.” He made a grab for Midorima’s crotch and was gratified when Midorima let out an undignified yelp. “Are you _sure_ you can wait?” Kazunari asked, grinning. Midorima scowled, but sat up and took off his pants. “Those, too,” said Kazunari firmly when Midorima hesitated with his underpants. He did as he was asked, but looked terribly embarrassed. Kazunari sat up and slipped his arms around Midorima’s waist, kissing him on the cheek. “What are you being so shy about? I love looking at you. I didn’t just mean your face when I said you were gorgeous, you know.”

Midorima gave him an uncertain look, and then admitted, “I don’t think I’m good at this. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Kazunari laughed. “In case you couldn’t tell, I’ve really been enjoying myself so far.” Midorima looked unconvinced. “Shin-chan, I don’t want a professional. I want _you_.” He kissed Midorima again, on the lips this time. First a short kiss, then deeper. When he pulled away, Midorima’s face looked softer, happier. Kazunari smiled and flopped back onto the bed. “Are you going to come down here and join me, or what?” He did just that, kissing Kazunari until they were both breathing heavily.

Kazunari could feel Midorima’s erection against his leg, and it was driving him crazy. He finally reached between them and touched it. Midorima gasped and then groaned when Kazunari gripped it more firmly, moving his hand experimentally. Watching the pleasure wash over Midorima’s face was its own reward, but after a minute Kazunari couldn’t stand the ache of his own need. “Shin-chan…” he said. Midorima opened his eyes; they were dark with desire and the intensity of his gaze made Kazunari forget what he’d been about to say. Fortunately Midorima understood without being asked, and his hand found Kazunari’s erection. After that, Kazunari was lost in the sensation of pleasure, giving and taking, until waves of ecstasy left them both gasping for breath.

For a minute they lay flat on their backs, just breathing, but then Midorima leaned over and kissed Kazunari. “That was a good compromise,” said Kazunari. “I hope you have more ‘activities’ in mind for us.”

This earned him a rare smile from Midorima. “Many,” he said.

Kazunari laughed. “I _almost_ don’t mind that I didn’t get my way,” he said.

“You couldn’t have won against me today.”

“Why? Was Cancer in first place today?” He’d forgotten to check Oha-Asa again this morning. Maybe understandable, considering how nervous he’d been.

“No, Scorpio was in first place today,” said Midorima.

“What? Why couldn’t I win, then?”

“Cancer was in _second_ place,” said Midorima, as if that explained anything. Seeing the confusion on Kazunari’s face, Midorima continued, “And you didn’t have your lucky item, of course.” Kazunari stared at him, then fished around in their pile of clothes until he found his cell phone. When he checked, he saw: _1\. Scorpio - cactus ; 2. Cancer - socks_.

“Socks!?” yelled Kazunari. “I’m still a virgin because you wore _socks_ today!?”

“Perhaps you’ve learned a lesson about the power of fate,” said Midorima seriously.

Kazunari buried his face in a pillow and groaned. “Fate is stupid and unfair,” he said.

There was a brief silence, and then Midorima said, “Are you that disappointed?”

Kazunari rolled onto his side to look directly at Midorima. “No,” he said. “Shin-chan, you never disappoint me.” He grinned. “But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying to change your mind about waiting.”

**Author's Note:**

> It wasn't until years later that Takao would learn the magazines were just the tip of the iceberg. Midorima had bookmark folders dedicated to date spots, dating etiquette, kissing techniques, sex guides, etc. He wanted to do everything humanly possible to keep Takao. (It worked.)
> 
> * * *
> 
> The cleaner wrasse text comes from [this](http://www.animalplanet.com/wild-animals/5-the-beauticians/) Animal Planet page. 
> 
> I've never been to the Sunshine Aquarium, but their [site](http://www.sunshinecity.co.jp/aquarium/index.html) is extremely informative. (Yes, they really have otter curry rice. And anteaters. Some of my "research" for this fic included extensive watching of them on YouTube. They do NOT like water.)


End file.
